ODIHR/OSCE OBSERVERS NOTE HIGH TECHNICAL STANDARD OF 

THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ELECTIONS OF KURULTAI DEPUTIES

The Central Election Commission, headed by Chairman Nurlan Abdirov, held a final meeting with members of the OSCE ODIHR Election Observation Mission for the elections of deputies of the Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan, led by Vincent Piket.

“We thank you for accepting our invitation and deploying both short-term and long-term observers, with whom I and the members of the Central Election Commission had the opportunity to communicate during the election campaign. The primary task of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan was to ensure a high standard of organization on election day. The key requirement for election commissions was to ensure maximum transparency and objectivity in voting procedures. We are pleased with the positive assessment of the organization of the electoral process provided by your Mission, as well as by all other international missions and our colleagues from the central election authorities of other countries,” - Nurlan Abdirov noted.

During the discussion of the Mission’s Interim Report and Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission drew attention to a number of points. In particular, the Head of the CEC noted that the Kurultai is a new political institution and, therefore, the elections held cannot be regarded as “early parliamentary elections,” as stated in the Mission’s documents, or as elections conducted ahead of the established schedule.

It was also noted that the date on which the President of Kazakhstan signed the Decree on holding the elections marked the final legal stage of an open constitutional process that had begun almost a year before election day. He recalled that the Head of State first proposed the transition to a unicameral Parliament on 8 September 2025 in his Address to the People of Kazakhstan. From that moment, systematic work was undertaken to implement this initiative.

The CEC Chairman also spoke about the considerable work carried out to train participants in the electoral process. A total of 7,567 seminars were held, covering 71,270 members of election commissions. Special training seminars were also organized for representatives of political parties, the mass media and public organizations. In total, 1,131 events were conducted, involving 23,323 participants.

The meeting also addressed the voter information and awareness campaign, which combined traditional and modern communication channels. Nurlan Abdirov further discussed issues related to the protection of personal data, accessibility of polling stations for persons with disabilities, and the creation of the necessary conditions for observers to perform their work.

“For the Central Election Commission, election observation is not a formality, but an essential element of an open and transparent electoral process. All applications for accreditation were approved. Throughout the entire election campaign, there was not a single case in which a public association or non-profit organization was refused accreditation, nor was any previously issued accreditation certificate withdrawn. On election day, all electoral procedures established by law were observed at polling stations. Observers did not draw up a single report concerning procedural violations by precinct election commissions. No official complaints or appeals were received from observers or journalists either. On election day, more than 51,000 national observers and 7,003 political party proxies that had nominated party lists monitored compliance with electoral procedures. In addition, 777 international observers from 42 foreign states and 13 international organizations took part in the observation,” - Nurlan Abdirov emphasized.

For his part, Vincent Piket expressed appreciation to the Kazakh side for the conditions created for observers, as well as for its openness and continued readiness to provide observers with the information necessary for their work, both at the central and regional levels.

“The OSCE/ODIHR Mission’s Preliminary Statement acknowledges the work done by the Central Election Commission as being technically of a high standard and effective. We note the methodical approach you have had to the preparation regional and local polling stations, as well as precinct and territorial election commissions. We know how much you have invested in the cascade training of 70,000 election commission officials throughout the country, as well as in voter information. I hope that once the Mission’s Final Report reaches you, you will give close scrutiny to the assessments and observations contained therein,” - Vincent Piket noted.

The OSCE/ODIHR preliminary report also notes that the election campaign was generally calm and orderly, becoming more intensive as election day approached. Election commissions at all levels professionally carried out the technical preparations for the elections, complied with the deadlines established by law, and enjoyed the confidence of the parties participating in the elections. The Central Election Commission regularly held open meetings attended by representatives of relevant stakeholders and the media.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Nurlan Abdirov assured his counterparts that the Election Observation Mission’s Final Report is an important document. All recommendations and conclusions contained in it will be carefully studied and discussed, including at meetings of the Expert Council under the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

It should be noted that throughout the election campaign, the Chairman and members of the CEC held a series of substantive and detailed meetings with observers from the OSCE/ODIHR Mission, during which comprehensive responses were provided to the issues they raised. OSCE/ODIHR observers also attended events organized as part of inspection visits by members of the Central Election Commission to the regions of the country. They had the opportunity to ask questions of interest, communicate with members of precinct election commissions, and familiarize themselves with the organization of the elections at the local level.